bareMinerals: Scene Stealer

Scene Stealer

I'm a newbie when it comes to bareMinerals and it was thanks to the power of Twitter that I found out Bare Minerals were having a flash sale, as this sale fell on payday I felt it was only right for me to go and have a nosey on their website.

I was very restrained but one click led to another and before I knew it Scene Stealer was in my basket and I was entering my digits, you know how it is.

bareMinerals Scene Stealer Collection contains:

♥Prime Time Primer Shadow in Pink Sugar
♥Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in 1AM
♥Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Pizzazz
♥Instant Eye Makeup Remover

I am SO impressed with these products, I’d read a couple of bare minerals reviews before and I’m now kicking myself that I didn’t try any of these products earlier.

The Prime Time Primer does everything you want an eye shadow primer to do. It can either be used by itself or as a base for your eye shadows and it does a fabulous job of keeping my eye shadow in place all day. It is quite glittery but I like that.

Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner is a jet black liner with a hit of silver shimmer. It glides along my waterline effortlessly and doesn’t budge. I think the shimmer adds that extra bit of glamour and is perfect for a night out.

I use the Instant Eye Makeup Remover in the evening before cleansing as it takes of every scrap of makeup, Including the Round The Clock waterproof liner that is really stubborn!

The star product for me has to be the Pretty Amazing Lip Colour. I will go as far as saying that it really is Pretty Amazing! Think Rimmel Appocalips but more luxurious and with phenomenal staying power. The liquid gloss gives a fully opaque colour in one coat with a gorgeous shine. I had so many complements on this colour, it’s definitely become my go to lip product for a night out.

The bareMinerals Scene Stealer set is now sold out on the bareMinerals website for but I have found it on Feel Unique for £20.80. 

Have you tried any products from bareMinerals? I'm excited to try more.

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm

Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm*

As a skincare addict I let out a little squeal of excitement when this arrived at my door. I have had great experiences with Elemis products in the past but I have never actually tried any of their cleansers and as a new found worshipper of cleansing balms this is right up my street.

The Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm is designed to dissolve make-up and daily grime. It comes with a flannel, which I find much better than muslin cloths as it really does help to remove every scrap of make up and doesn't feel harsh on my skin.

The balm has a very strong scent which at first I wasn't too keen on but it has definitely grown on my and now I don’t mind it at all.

I apply the balm to dry skin allowing it to turn in to a bit of oil, you can really feel it melting the day away and then remove with the flannel and you are left with soft and nourished skin.

Elemis also say you can use the balm as an intensive mask. Apply the balm and leave it for 10 minutes, then hold a warm flannel over your face and breathe in the aromas.  Wash of as usual; it’s a lovely little treat for the face.

The Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm is a fabulous product which has left me with clear and healthy looking skin, the more I use it the more I love it. I think I may need to use it for a couple more years to tell if it really is anti ageing but for now I'm really happy with the results.

You can find the Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm on Beauty Expert for £39.50.

Have you tried this?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Mac Pink Swoon Sheertone Blush

Pink Swoon

I have a new blush. My first ever MAC blush actually, and I'm not gonna lie, I snapped it up from a blog sale, hi bargain hunter!

I love pretty pink blushes as I think they really complement my pale skin tone so as soon as I saw Pink Swoon I instantly fell for it.

Pink Swoon by MAC is a sheertone blush which is extremely pigmented. I was a bit taken a back when I first open it as to how bright it is in the pan but thankfully the colour pay off isn't this bright on the skin.

You only need a light dusting to get a gorgeous rosy complexion but it is also easy to blend and build so I would recommend applying lightly and building gradually until you get your desired finish.

Now the sun is starting to make an appearance I was a bit concerned it wouldn't look as good on more tanned skin, but it does and actually I think this rosy colour would suit the majority of skin tones.

All in all I'm rather please with my pretty first MAC blush and as I'm very impressed with the quality I will definitely be having a peruse around MAC and swatching looking for my next purchase.

What do you think? What’s your favourite MAC Blush?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Sometimes a Girls Gotta Treat Herself

I know this bag has been getting around recently but the first time I laid my eyes on it I knew I needed it in my life. When I buy a bag I'm usually pretty dedicated as I can’t never really be bothered to keep moving my things from one to another so I like a bag which can fit all my goodies in.

The Zara City Office bag has pretty much everything I look for in a bag, it’s classy, great quality, looks good with any outfit and has sooo many compartments; it even has a dedicated ipad pocket! My boyfriend likes to call it a suitcase; he says he can’t understand why I need so much space. I don’t hear him complaining though when he puts his wallet in too haha.

I love this bag and I know a lot of bloggers already have it but that doesn't really bother me and I've not seen anyone else in my little town with it yet so that makes me feel special. It’s also now available in a tan colour which will look so good in summer.

You like?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Liquid Sand by OPI

Solitaire*

Textured polishes are everywhere at the moment and OPI have got the trend spot on with their liquid sand offering.

OPI Liquid Sand is a matte polish with a pebbled finish, the formula is so easy to apply and dries quickly, you can get away with just using one coat but I used to the get a fully opaque look. It’s recommended not to use a top coat with this as this can ruin the finished result, but to be honest I don’t think it really needs one the matte finish is beautiful and it lasted about 4 days without chipping!

Solitaire is a stunning diamond white with silver flecks of glitter running throughout. The colour and effect looks so sophisticated, I thinks it’s probably something that I would choose to wear to a wedding or an evening event just because it oozes class.

OPI Liquid Sand polishes are available from Beauty Expert for £11.50. 

What do you think? Are you a fan of textured polishes?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Make One Change Challenge

Hi all, today I’m talking about my favourite subject, food. I love cooking food, going out for food and of course eating food. Unfortunately for me I don’t think food loves me as much. I only have to look at a picture of food on Instagram and I can feel my waist line expanding. I know a lot of you out there feel the same so I'm going to start doing a series of fitness posts to share my thoughts, ups and downs which hopefully you guys can relate too and hopefully it should help keep me motivated too.

My housemate and I have decided to take part in the Make One Change Challenge from Quorn. The idea is to try Quorn once a week in place of the meat you would usually eat.

‘Swapping the mince beef in your spaghetti Bolognese for Quorn Mince just once a week for four weeks could mean reducing your calories by 808 calories.’

 That’s quite a lot of calories to save without eating anyt less so I think it’s worth giving it a go!

I’m a fully-fledged carnivore so I must say the idea of fake meat wasn’t too appealing at first but I’ve actually also been pleasantly surprised by the taste of Quorn and realised that this challenge is completely do-able.

The pictures are what I have eaten on the past two Meatless meals.

The Quorn Fillets are covered in spicy tomato salsa, a couple of crushed tortilla chips and a sprinkling of cheese. I had them with salad and cottage cheese.

For the Swedish style balls I cooked them in the oven for 18 Minutes, and then served them in a tomato sauce with mushrooms, onions and courgettes.

Both were completely delicious and came in under 400 calories a plate.

I've actually tried to start eating 2 Quorn meals a week and I’ve really started to feel better about myself and my diet.

What do you think? Will you be joining in with the Make One Change Challenge now summer is creeping up on us?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday Perfume

Pink Friday*

I’ll admit it I’m definitely guilty of shaking my bootay to a Nicki Minaj tune or two while I'm out with the girls (as I’m sure most of you do too) but I would no way describe myself as a super fan.

When I was asked to share my thoughts on Pink Friday I wouldn't say I was hesitant but I'm not usually one for celebrity fragrances, however saying that I remember getting a bottle of J-Lo Glo for Christmas one year and thinking that I was the coolest person ever.

Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj is actually quite lovely, I was expecting quite a funky smell as Nicki is known for being quirky to say the least but I was pleasantly surprised to find a sweet floral scent. It’s totally wearable for every day; it’s quite a strong scent so I only tend to use 2 spritz maximum but that lasts really well and I can still smell it on my throughout the day.

What the scent lacks in ‘quirkiness’ the bottle definitely makes up for. You cannot mistake the fact that this is Nicki Minaj’s perfume, I mean the bottle is her head. It’s unique and definitely stands out from the crowd but I do find it a bit creepy and tend to keep it in the box, haha.

If you’re looking for a sweet summer fragrance then this may be a good shout, it’s worth a spritz and I think you will surprised at how nice it is.

Pink Friday is available from The Hut for £29.00 for 50ml.

Have you tried this perfume? Have you ever owned a celebrity fragrance? 

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Nails: My Top 5 Glitter Polishes

Purple Haze ♥ Glitter Top Coat ♥ Razzle Dazzle ♥ Carnival ♥ Rose Quartz

Call me a stereotypical girl but I like everything pretty and sparkly so when it comes to my nails a bit of glitter makes me feel a bit special…like a princess.

Models Own Purple Haze is a vibrant purple that I wear on my toes quite a lot, I usually use this on top of Models own’s Purple Mystique to add a bit of extra excitement but you can achieve an opaque look with 2 or 3 coats.

The 17 Glitter Top Coat is a clear polish with fine specks of glitter. This is ideal to use over any colour to add a bit of shine and to keep your nails from chipping.

I think I wore Razzle Dazzle everyday throughout the festive season; it’s the perfect deep crimson shade and I love to pair it with Damson Dream by No7.

Carnival by Technic is filled with bright bold glitter flecks that really do give your nails the wow factor. You can pretty much use this on any colour but I like using it on pastel colours or a white as it reminds me of sweets and cupcakes.

Rose Quartz by Barry M is the perfect princess polish. I generally use this on an accent nail or on my toes if I’m wearing pretty sandals, it looks great on holiday.

As much as I love all of these I HATE removing them. Removing glitter polishes is one of the things in life I hate the most, it really makes me angry, I know that’s quite sad but it really gets my goat. I have heard though you can now buy peel off base coats which makes removing the polish easy peasey so I must look into this!

Do you like using glitter on your nails? Whats your favourite glitter polish?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Charlie Says...

Face: Bourjouis Healthy Mix Foundation and Concealer, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, Dainty Doll Blush My Girl

Eyes: Maybelline Gel Eyeliner, Elf EyeBrow Kit in Dark, MUA White Eyeliner, L'oreal Volume Million Luminizer Mascara.

Lips: Revlon Lip Butter, Cotton Candy

♥ This is my Shopping face. I love a bit of white eye liner to the inner corner of my eyes. it's really pretty and make me look a bit more awake. I'm all so back on the Healthy Mix foundation, I couldn't resist it when I found out it had been relaunched. For me this is 100% the best highstreet foundation I've tried.

♥ This week I have bought a new car! My little KA called Percy has been so faithful for the last 6 years but unfortunatley he was starting to cost me more than it's actually worth so time for an upgrade. My New Fiesta has big shoes to fill!

♥ A new car results in a massive spending ban. I really need to stop giving into blogger hype and actually start using up some of the products I have so you can expect more blog posts along the lines of 'shopping my stash', some outfit posts and a couple more lifestyle ones thrown in there too.

♥ I am finally motivated about fitness. i have downloaded an iphone app called 'My Fitness Pal' and my god it really did show me that I was eating way more calories than I actually thought I was! In the first week of logging my food I lost 4 pound, 4 pound! That never happens to me but it's really spurred me on. Fit body here we come!

♥  My little blog has hit 500 followers. WOW. I remember writing my first posts wondering if anyone would actually read it and now 500 followers just seems crazy! I'm pleased with how far my little blog has come and I'm looking forward to it growing some more throughout the next year.

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Benefit They're Real!

Benefit They're Real!

As a mascara freak I have lusted after this for a long time, alas the bank balance would just not allow me to purchase. Thank goodness for Elle Magazine giving away a mini sample this month, my housemate and I nabbed the last ones of the shelves so these bad boys are obviously going fast.

They're Real is designed to lengthen, curl, volumize lift and separate all at the same time, which is really what we all want from a mascara.

The brush has lots of fine precise bristles which definitely help to separate and define my lashes beautifully. At the end of the wand there is a little spiked bristle section that helps you grab all of the little lashes that you may sometimes miss. Benefit recommend to hold the wand vertically and stroke upwards to help create that flirty curl we crave.

The colour is super black and the staying power is second to non, this doesn't, smudge or flake and lasts all day. You will definitely need something good to help remove this, I used my eye make up remover and then followed it with a cleansing balm and was surprised to see how much mascara still rubbed off on the flannel.which is good but just make sure you remove it thoroughly to avoid those panda eyes.

While I have nothing negative to say about this mascara, I'm afraid I wont be running out to repurchase. At £19.50 a pop it is more than my bank balance can justify at the moment and to be honest I think there are some real high street mascara high street gems out there at the moment from Max Factor and L'oreal which do a fabulous job for half the price. But if you do have the money this is definitely worth the splurge.

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

The Weekend The Sun Came Out

As if a three day weekend wasn't enough of a treat, my boyfriend and I decided to turn it in to a Four day weekend and go and visit his family down in Kent.

I love escaping to the country, having no phone signal and just enjoying the sunshine and some relaxing time. We hiked 2 miles up hill to reach a gorgeous little country pub, a cider was definitely well earned when we got there. We passed so many pretty cottages and big houses hidden behind trees, we kept saying we would love to live then ‘when’ we win the lottery.

The majority of the weekend though was spent in the garden trying to catch some rays; my pale legs could do with some sunshine! Of course we had to make the most of the weather and have a BBQ too; it would just be rude not too.

We finished up in the evening indulging in way too much cheese and biscuits and a lovely cup of tea.

What more could you ask for from a weekend (apart from that lottery win obviously). 

I'm not sure where the sun is hiding today but lets hope it makes a return for the next bank holiday.

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Red Carpet Queen

Fade to Grey* and Runway Top Coat*

Red Carpet Queen is a new brand for me, and what a great way to get my attention by with a unique bullet shaped bottle. I mean bottles of nail polish are usually pretty standard so it’s nice to see a little twist that definitely makes Red Carpet Queen stand out from the crowd.

Fade to Grey is a sophisticated matte grey shade which complemented my Saturday night monochrome outfit a treat. I used the Runway TopCoat to add a touch of shine and to keep my nails chip free.

The brush is big enough to cover my whole nail in one sweep and one coat gives a complete opaque finish. The wear time is great and lasted a good 3 days without chipping.

I’m actually really intrigued to try more colours from the Red Carpet Queen range and there are some gorgeous shades from nudes to bright with a glitter finish, and as a sucker for nail polish you can never have too much glitter!

The Red Carpet Queen Range are available from The Hut for £11.50, this is one bullet you don’t wanna dodge (haha too cringe?) Hope your enjoying the bank holiday!

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram